By Guy Page
The poorest town in Vermont is…..
Not in the Northeast Kingdom, often considered the poorest region of the state.
Not populated by uneducated people. In fact, it is above Vermont-average for high school graduates.
Not black. Less than one percent of residents identify as black.
Not an actual town, at all, but a region th e Census Bureau calls a “census-designated spot.” The poorest town in Vermont is actually part of the Town of Brattleboro, the Windham County county seat.
Brattleboro proper is home to an active downtown, an active, numerous-if-not-always-thriving arts community, the historic home of Rudyard Kipling, and Congresswoman Becca Balint.
West Brattleboro, though, is better known as a village with a few nice shops, covered bridges and restaurants you may or may not stop at as you drive west out of Brattleboro on Rte. 9, destination Marlboro, Bennington, and other towns.
According to 2021 census data table provided in a January 7 Center Square report, the ‘poorest town in Vermont’ has a population of 2770. Vermont’s median household income is $67,694; West Brattleboro’s, $36,618. That’s also about ⅗ of the Windham County median household income of $59,000. Given the low incomes, it is not surprising that a larger than average share of residents live in poverty. The local poverty rate in the town stands at 19.4%, compared to the statewide poverty rate of 10.5%.
Data for the Center Square report are sourced from five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey. For the purposes of this story, towns are defined as incorporated legal entities or census-designated statistical areas with populations between 1,000 to 25,000 people, Center Square said. Towns were excluded if median household income was not available in the 2021 ACS or if the sampling error associated with a town’s data was deemed too high.
“Poorest town” defies some stereotypes – A deep dive into the West Brattleboro Census data by CensusReporter.org shows that West Brattleboro defies some poverty stereotypes.
Unlike many poor communities nationwide that are predominantly black, West Brattleboro census figures show an official “0%” black. Even given a generous statistical margin of error, the community clearly has few African-American residents. However, its total minority population is about 12%, higher than the statewide average of eight percent. Four percent identify as hispanic.
West B also defies the “low-education, low-income” model. It has a better high school graduation rate (96.9%) than both Windham County and the rest of Vermont. Its 32% college graduation rate is 80% less than both the county and state, though.
Other demographic data that may – or may not – be relevant:
Born in the U.S.A: Just 1.9% are foreign born, compared to more than three percent for county and state.
More women: 56% of West Brattleboro residents are women, compared to 50.3% statewide. Women typically earn less than men. Also, the birth rate is nearly double the rate of the rest of Windham County.
Smaller households: West B households average 2.0 members, vs. 2.4 statewide. The 34% married rate is significantly less than Windham (43%) and Vermont (49%).
More likely to move: West B residents are 25% more likely to have moved in the last 12 months than the rest of Windham County.
Owner-occupied housing: 20% cheaper than the rest of the county. It is home to a large trailer park, Mountain Home Trailer Park.
Fewer veterans: West B has about 60% as many veterans per capita as both state and county.
West B compares favorably with the poorest towns in the two other Northern New England states. Data from Center Square report, based on Census data:
| State | Poorest town | Median household income in town ($) | Median household income in state ($) | Poverty rate in town (%) | Poverty rate in state (%) | Number of towns considered in state |
| Vermont | West Brattleboro | 36,618 | 67,674 | 19.4 | 10.5 | 47 |
| New Hampshire | Ashland | 33,365 | 83,449 | 31.7 | 7.4 | 57 |
| Maine | Machias | 20,333 | 63,182 | 38.3 | 11 | 101 |
| Massachusetts | Ware | 43,783 | 89,026 | 17.4 | 9.9 | 154 |
| Rhode Island | Central Falls | 40,235 | 74,489 | 24.9 | 11.3 | 19 |